The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) expects to complete a major drainage expansion along G. Araneta Avenue next month to mitigate chronic flooding in the area, officials said Thursday.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon inspected the site Thursday and noted that crews are nearly finished with repairs on the portion of the avenue leading toward E. Rodriguez Sr. Boulevard.

The project, which began late last year, aims to address a bottleneck that frequently leaves the road impassable to vehicles during heavy rain.

“We are taking advantage of the lack of rain,” Dizon said. “We really need to do all this before June so that we can somehow relieve the flooding here.”

The drainage system is a critical component of the city’s flood control infrastructure, designed to divert runoff that often submerges the low-lying thoroughfare.

In a separate update, the DPWH reported that the ongoing rehabilitation of EDSA is now more than 31 percent complete.